Preamp Deal of the Century


If anyone is looking for a true "World Class" preamp at a very fair price..heed my advice. I just recieved a Supratek Syrah preamp that was hand built by Mick Maloney in Western Australia, and it is absolutely beautiful! This preamp is the best deal you will ever find. I would put it up against any preamp out there for both looks and sound. Price? $2500 for the Syrah (includes Killer Phono stage). Not into phono? Try the Chardonney line stage for $2100. Don't get me wrong, I am not associated with this company. I am just a very happy owner! This preamp is VERY dynamic, yet liquid. It conveys the sound of music better than any other preamp that I have ever heard! You can check out the Supratek website at www. cantech.net.au
slowhand
Ecclectique, thanks for your VERY helpful analysis.

And for the helpful vocabulary: "image wandering"...that's exactly what it is! The pianist strikes the note and you hear it left center, but then it spreads out, sometimes to the left and right, sometimes just to the right. Similarly with sax or coronet. When this happens with most of the instruments in the music, the soundstage is reverberating within itself. (There does seem to be more focus with high impact, high frequency sounds like snare drum and high hat.)

Not surprisingly, this quality is less a negative with orchestral work...probably because it simulates some of the reverberation in a concert hall. But for jazz it is crazy-making.

My rectifier (stock) is Sovtek 5AR4. It says "Made in Russia" and "04 04" on it, the latter being the production date I suppose. Looks like it's "Bye bye Sovtek!"

So I've read your glowing endorsement for the Philips Miniwatt GZ34, Made in Holland, 1957 as the best. At $350 it should be. Does one really need to spend that kind of $$ to make the Chenin sing? Are any of the $100 NOS up to the task? Where would you say the point of diminishing returns is?

I'm ready to take the next step.

Thx, John

PS - Oh, in answer to your question. The image wandering is for both CD and phono, but it is more pronounced with phono (maybe cause the sound is going though more tubes?).
i'm using a bendix 6106 in the rectifier position and have never noticed any type of image shift in my chardonnay. i also use eh 6SN7 and sovtek KT66 tubes. i think there are still several bendix 6106 at tubedepot.com for $30 per tube. it's definitely worth a try in my opinion.
I was wondering if I could hear from people who have replaced a TVC linestage with a Supratek and experienced a large increase in dynamics and any other positive effects?

I've been very happy with my TVC but have noted that my system does lack SOTA dynamics. Just not quite there. So, I am looking into active linestages once again and the Supratek gear is high on my list.

Thanks!
Thanks Dilly and all.

The Sovtek KT66's arrived today (from Tube World) and made an immediate improvement out of the box over the stock Sovtek 5881's in the Chenin. After an only an hour they're really settling in. Greater clarity, less reverberant 'mush', better focus. We're getting there.

Bendix 6106 rectifier is on its way here from Tube Depot. Will report back soon.

Back to the music . . .
OK so here I am looking for a new preamp and really considering the Conrad Johnson LS17. I would rather have the 16, but i can't afford that right now. I'm really close to pulling the trigger on the 17 when i decide to come here and see what others are saying about it when I stumble across this thread.
I am a die hard CJ fan. But I keep reading about this preamp (Chardonnay) bettering the CJ 17 (and maybe the 16 but I haven't read that far yet). So now I am intrigued and have emailed Mick to see what the lead time is on the Chardonnay. Maybe there was a reason that I hadn't pulled the trigger on the 17 yet. Anyway, thanks. I hope I can get one soon. I had heard of Supratek but didn't realize it had such a cult following. Then too, i haven't been looking for a preamp......till now.
The only reason for a change of preamp is that I want to see what a good tube preamp will do for my system. Anyone running a CJ MF 2500A with the chardonnay? Is it a good match?